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‘Too many coppers, not enough justice’

About 200 relatives and supporters of the late Patrick Fisher gathered on February 11 to commemorate his life and hold a march calling for justice.

Fisher died on February 7 while fleeing from police who had kicked down the door of his girlfriend's home. He was wanted on outstanding warrants for minor stealing offences.

Police claim he slipped while trying to climb down to another unit and fell from the thirteenth floor balcony of the Joseph Banks Tower in the Waterloo public housing estate.

Police said a critical incident team from Botany Bay Local Area Command is examining "all the circumstances surrounding the incident" but speakers at the rally said it was just police investigating police. They called for an independent inquiry, community action and justice.

Fisher was remembered as a man who was "loved by everyone" and relatives told the crowd he was "chased to his death" by police and didn't deserve to die as he did.

Rachel Evans, who was at the rally, told Green Left Weekly there must be an independent inquiry and police must not be able to brush it off as an accident.

“We're saying it's another death in custody,” she said. “If they hadn't broken down the door, he wouldn't have tried to escape. This has to stop.”

After a smoking ceremony, the crowd marched to Redfern Park, chanting "too many coppers, not enough justice" and “they say accident, we say murder”.

"I want you to think of this community and how we can bring it back together. Draw the line right now and don't compromise, don't step back, because I know my brother would be loving this right now — bringing everyone together."

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In these days of growing media concentration, Green Left Weekly is a proudly independent voice committed to human and civil rights, global peace and environmental sustainability, democracy and equality. By printing the news and ideas the mainstream media won't, Green Left Weekly exposes the lies and distortions of the power brokers and helps us to better understand the world around us.